Cattle-guard for railways



2 Sheets-Shet 1v (No Model.)

J. W. DODD & S. S. SMALLWOOD. CATTLE GUARD FOR RAILWAYS.

Pla sented Jan. 4,1898.

2 Sheets-$heet 2.

J. W. DODD & S. S. SMALL-WOOD. CATTLE GUARD FOR RAILWAY'S.

No. 596,962. Patented Jan. 4. 1898.

(No Model.)

UNITED STATES PATENT @FHCE...

JOHN XVILLIAM DODD, F MARTINSBURG, AND SHIPPLEY S. SMALLXVGOD, OF RIDGEl-VAY, WEST VIRGINIA.

CATTLE-G UARD FOR RAILWAYS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 596,962, dated January 4, 1898.

Application filed October 5, 1897- Serial No. 664,137. (No model.)

employing movable gates connected with a I pivoted spring-supported platform and adapted to be automatically closed by the weight of the stock bearing on said platform while crossing the track.

An important part of the invention relates to the operating mechanism whereby the gates are automatically closed and opened.

Still further parts of the invention relate to the location and arrangement of the gates and operating mechanism therefor relative to the depressible platform and to certain details of construction, all of which will more fully hereinafter appear.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views. Figure 1 is a plan view of the device. Fig, 2 is a longitudinal sectional view. Fig. 3 is atransverse sectional view on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1. Fig-a .is a detail view of the vertically-movin g bumper-plate and its operatinglever, and Fig. 5 is a view of a modified form of the same.

The letter A indicates the rails, and B the cross-ties, of an ordinary track. At the desired location we secure in one of the crossties, between. and at the sides of the rails, stapics or similar devices a, which form journalbearings for the rods l) 5, extending through and supporting the rear ends of the bars 0 c of the platformsC 0'. The other ends of the bars are connected by rods 71 If. 'The bars may also be braced in their central portion, if necessary, by a transverse beam 0 which extends beneath the bars and to which they 5c are secured and which is provided with slots 0 for the rails A. At a point beneath the front end of the platform we secure to the rails the clam p-picces D, formed in two parts, each part having an upper end d, bent to con- 5 5 form to the lower flange of the rail, and a downward-extending portion cl, the extensions (15 being suitably apertured to receive screw-bolts (P. The device D is thus held clamped to the rail, and no holes have to be drilled through the latter. The downwardextending portions (1 are also provided with openings which form journal-bearings for a rock-shaft E. Suitable collars e are applied to the rock-shaft to prevent lateral movement 6 5 of the shaft in its bearin gs. Secured to the said rock-shaft and extending backward therefrom at a slight incline are crank-arms e, and pivot-links e pivotally connect the rods 11 b with said crank-arms. A cross-tie 7o somewhat longer. than the ones in ordinary use is provided at the front of the platform, and on this are supported and suitably braced uprights F F, on the inner faces of which are supported in suitable bearings the gates G G, 7 5 Which are adapted to swing laterally.

Secured to the rock-shaft E, near its outer ends, are upright lever-arms H H, which are pivotally connected, by means of links 72. h, with the gates G G. To the cross-tie s'up- 8o porting the uprights and midway between the rails is secured a stop-block g, in which is slidably secured a bumper-plate g. (Shown in detail in Fig. 4.) A lever-arm f, pivotally supported in its central portion in bearings f, carried by the stop-block g, has one end extending through a slotted opening 9 in the stop-blocl which engages with an opening g in the lower part of the bumper-plate g. The other or free end of the lever-arm f ex- 0 tends beneath the platform G, by which it is adapted to be depressed in operation to raise the bumper-plate g, and a catch 0 is secured to the under side of one of the bars c and is adapted to bear against the underside of the 9 5 lever-arm in the upward movement of the platform 0 to return said lever-arm and with it the bumper-plate g to their normal positions. The bumper-plate works ina verticallyextending slot g in the stop-block g, and pins 51 extend through said stop-block and through vertical slots g g formed in the bumper-plate to limit and guide the movements of the same. Secured to one of the cross-ties is a leaf-spring S, which extends upward and outward and at its free end bears against the under side of the rod W. In addition to or in place of the spring S we may employ a pivoted weighted arm W of the well-known construction.

The operation of the device is as follows: Cattle or other stock in crossing the track will step upon the platform G or the supplemental platforms 0 at the sides of the track and by their Weight depress the forward end of said platform against the resistance of the spring S or weighted arm IV, thereby, through the pivot-links e and crank-arms e, revolving the rock-shaft E and throwing the leverarms H H outward or away from the gates, said lever-arms, through the medium of the pivotal links h h, operating to close the gates. As the platform 0 is depressed it bears against the free end of thelever-arm f, which is thereby rocked on its bearings f, and its other end and with it the bumper-plate g are elevated. The bumper-plate serves as a stop to limit the inward swing of the gates. \Vhen weight is removed from the platform, the spring 8 or weighted arm N returns it to its normal position, thereby revolving the rockshaft in the reverse direction to that just described and opening the gates. As the platform rises the catch 0" draws the free end of the lever-arm f upward and returns the bumper-plate to its normal lowered position. The stop-block g is normally on a level with the plane of the tops of the rai1s,and the reason for positive means for lowering the bumperplate is to provide against contact of such plate with any part of the moving train.

In Fig. 5 we have shown a modified form of this part of our invention, in which, instead of a single plate, we employ two arms 1 2, moving in vertical passages 3 at in the stopblock, and having their outer ends bent to extend in a horizontal direction and carrying blocks of rubber 5 6, which afford a yielding stop for the gate. Said arms 1 2 may, if desired, be made from ordinary gas-pipe and are connected at their lower ends by a crosspiece 7, which in turn is connected with the lever-arm f. l

The platforms at the sides of the track are intended to prevent stock from getting in between the rails and the uprights without closing the gates.

\Vhile any form of platform may be used with our invention, we prefer the construction shown in the center platform 0, which is formed of bars or beams of wood suitably connected, as described, the bars being V- shaped in cross-section to present a sharp edge for cutting through snow in the movement of the platform. At the left of Fig. 1 we have shown the platform 0 presenting an ordinary plane surface and at the right as made from fiat bars of metal.

We have sought in our invention to produce a construction designed to overcome the obstacles which have hitherto rendered largely impracticable the general use of such devices.

Our cattle-guard is simple and accurate in operation, easily and cheaply manufactured, and perfectly adapted to the use for which it is designed.

Having thus fully described our invention, what we claim is 1. In a cattle-guard, the combination with a spring-supported platform pivotally supported at its rear end, of a rock-shaft journaled in bearings beneath the free end of said platform carrying crank-arms, links pivotally connecting said platform and crank-arms, gates suitably supported in proximity to said rock-shaft and adapted to swing laterally, and means connecting said gates and rockshaft, and operating in the respective move ments of the rock-shaftto close or open the gates, substantially as described.

2. In a cattle-guard, the combination with a spring-supported platform pivotally supported at its rear end, of a rock-shaft journaled in bearings beneath the free end of said platform carrying crank-arms and leverarms, links pivotally connecting said platform and crank-arms, gates suitably supported in proximity to said rocloshaft and adapted to swing laterally, and links pivotally connecting said gates and lever-arms, substantially as described.

3. In a cattle-guard, the combination with a pivoted spring-supported platform, of laterally-swinging gates suitably supported in proximity to said platform, gate-operating mechanism connecting the platform and gates and a'vertically-movable bumper 10- cated in advance of said platform and adapted to limit the inward swing of the gates, and means operated by the platform to raise and lower the bumper, substantially as described.

4. In a cattle-guard, the combination with a pivoted spring-supported platform of laterally swinging gates suitably supported in proximity to said platform, gate-operating mechanism connecting the platform and gates, a stop-block located in advance of said platform, a bumper-plate slidably mounted in said stop-block, a leverarm pivoted to said stop-block and having one end connected with the bumper-plate and its free end extended beneath the platform, and a catch carried by said platform and adapted to engage the under side of the free end. of said leverarm, substantially as described.

5. In a cattle-guard, the combination with a pivoted, spring 7 supported platform of swinging gates suitably supported in proximity to said platform, a rock-shaft j ournaled beneath the free end of said platform and our hands in presence of two subscribing Withaving a crank connection therewith, gatenesses.

operating mechanism connecting the rock- I shaft and gates, and clamp-pieces secured to OD 5 the base-flanges 0f the rails and affording journal-bearings for the rock-shaft, substan- Witnesses:

tially as described. NEWTON D. BAKER, J12,

In testimony whereof we have hereunto set A. G. KEESECKER. 

